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Sempronio rivals Celestina in manipulation and scheming, and he is the only character to provide a real foil to Celestina’s powerful and world-wise character. But Sempronio’s youth and inexperience fail him, and he “wins” in the end not by outwitting Celestina but by being impulsive and using brute force. It is Sempronio who first sees the window of opportunity with the pining and emotionally vulnerable Calisto and seeks out Celestina’s help, which propels the action of the plot. Sempronio, unlike Calisto, has a more realistic view of women and the ways of love and romantic connection and never experienced the romantic notions of love Calisto is predisposed to as a protected member of the upper class. Sempronio is highly cynical of love. His lover Elicia constantly browbeats him for not giving her proper adoration, and he has to patronize her constantly. Sempronio advises Calisto that women are faithless by nature, citing long lines of examples in philosophy and literature of women’s ability to lead men astray and bring about their demise.

The novel’s warning about the destructiveness of love, verbalized by Melibea’s father, Pleberio, and proven by Calisto’s death, seems to support Sempronio’s view. Sempronio is highly aware of his actions and the motivations of others, which makes him a survivor just like Celestina. He tries to give Celestina the benefit of the doubt and foster a true friendship with Pármeno, which speaks to his earnest character. His cocky self-assuredness and impulsiveness, however, lead to his downfall when he flies into a rage and kills Celestina.

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